Compressed air fluid product dispenser with metering chamber

ABSTRACT

A compressed air fluid product dispenser has a valve assembly having a valve body with at least a portion thereof in the form of a piston, the valve assembly having a compressed air flow path therethrough. A valve member is movable in the valve body for obturating the compressed air flow path. Aspirating means are provided at one end of the compressed air flow path, the other end of the compressed air flow path opening out of the valve body remote from the aspirating means. The valve body has a metering chamber therein in communication with the aspirating means. A product containing means is provided which forms part of said fluid product dispenser, and a product flow path extends through the valve body from the metering chamber to the product containing means. A closed end cylinder is fitted around at least the piston-shaped portion of the valve body in air tight sliding engagement with the closed end over the end of the compressed air flow path, the cylinder and valve body being movable toward each other in a compression stroke to compress air within the cylinder, either the valve member or the piston having means thereon engagable with the other at the end of the compression stroke for moving the valve member to open the compressed air path only after the air is compressed in the cylinder.

United States Patent 11 1 Riccio l l COMPRESSED AIR FLUID PRODUCT DISPENSER WITH METERING CHAMBER [75] Inventor: Pasquale R. Riccio, Salem, NH.

I73] Assignee: Ciba-Geigy Corporation,

Greenburgh, N.Y.

[221 Filed: Dec. 28, 1971 I21 I App]. No.: 212,996

I52] U.S. Cl 222/193, 222/377, 222/383,

222/454, 239/350, 239/357 [51] Int. Cl. B67d 5/54 [58] Field of Search 222/193, 207, 455,

Primary ExaminerRobert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Joseph J. Rolla Alt0rneyE. F. Wenderoth et al.

[451 Sept. 4, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT A compressed air fluid product dispenser has a valve assembly having a valve body with at least a portion thereof in the form of a piston, the valve assembly having a compressed air flow path therethrough. A valve member is movable in the valve body for obturating the compressed air flow path. Aspirating means are provided at one end of the com-pressed air flow path, the other end of the compressed air flow path opening out of the valve body remote from the aspirating means. The valve body has a metering chamber therein in communication with the aspirating means. A product containing means is provided which forms part of said fluid product dispenser, and a product flow path extends through the valve body from the metering chamber to the product containing means. A closed end cylinder is fitted around at least the piston-shaped portion of the valve body in air tight sliding engagement with the closed end over the end of the compressed air flow path, the cylinder and valve body being movable toward each other in a compression stroke to compress air within the cylinder, either the valve member or the piston having means thereon engagable with the other at the end of the compression stroke for moving the valve member to open the compressed air path only after the air is compressed in the cylinder.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures [4 1 Sept. 4, 1973 United States Patent 1 Riccio PATENTEDSEP 4 ma sum 1 or 3 FIG] INVENTOR PASQUALE RICCIO ATTORNEYS FIG.2

INVENTOR PASQUALE RICCI O ATTORNEYS mimosa 4m 3.756-L474 SflEH'S 0F 3.

. INVENTOR PASQUALE 1 c-clo ATTORNEYS COMPRESSED AIR FLUID PRODUCT DISPENSER WITH METERING CHAMBER This invention relates to dispensers for fluids, and more particularly to a compact hand held device for aspirating a fluid and dispensing it as a spray by means of compressed air. The device of the present invention has a product storage means in a normally unused part of the device, and a means for metering the amount of product flowing out of the product storage means.

PRIOR ART There has recently been developed a type of dispenser for fluids which utilizes compressed air for dispensing fluids in the form of a spray. There are many advantages to such a dispenser, among which is the fact that a conventional aerosol type propellant, such as Freon, is unnecessary, thereby avoiding possible harm to users of the dispenser due to inhalation of the Freon propellant after it has been used to dispense the fluid, and the fact that the dispensers have a shelf-life limited only by the shelf-life of the fluid product to be dispensed, since the compressed air used to dispense the product is compressed by the users of the dispenser for each dispensing action. Such dispensers are disclosed in copending applications Ser. No. 44,694 filed June 9, I970 and now US. Pat. No. 3,672,545 and Ser. Nos. 90,897, Nov. 11, 1970; 139,027, Apr. 30, [971; and 148,753, June 1, 1971.

While the various forms of this type of dispenser as disclosed in these applications are satisfactory from the standpoint of their operation, the product container means is directly connected to the dispensing nozzle I and is normally above the dispensing nozzle during actuation of the device. Thus, the whole body of product is subjected to aspiration during each operation of the device. To keep the device a convenient size, theproduct container is kept relatively small.

OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved fluid product dispenser of the type described above which has a larger product container means in part of the device where it does not unduly increase the bulk of the device or make it awkward to handle, and a metering means between the product container means and the aspirating nozzle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fluid product dispenser of the type described in which the metering means and the product container means are arranged so that by inverting the device and then righting it, only a small amount of product is placedin position to be dispensed.

These objects are achieved by the provision of a fluid product dispenser comprising a valve assembly having a valve body in the form of a piston, said valve assembly having a compressed air flow path therethrough, a valve member movable in the valve body and obturating the compressed air flow path, aspirating means at one end of the compressed air flow path, the other end of the compressed air path opening out of the valve body remote from said aspirating means, a metering chamber in communication with the aspirating means, and a product containing means in the device in communication with the metering chamber. A closed end cylinder is fitted around the valve body in air tight sliding engagement with the closed end over the end of the compressed air flow path so that the cylinder and valve body are movable toward each other in a compression stroke to compress air within the cylinder. An extension means on either or both the valve member and the closed end of the cylinder engages the other at the end of the compression stroke for moving the valve member to open the compressed air path only after the air is compressed in the cylinder. The product container means is a product container around the valve body and the cylinder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the device according to the invention with the parts in the rest or nondispensing positions;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1 with the parts in the dispensing positions; and

FIGS. 3-6 are sectional views taken on lines 3--3 to 6-6,. respectively, of FIG. 1.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the valve assembly has a valve body 10 which has a longitudinally extending passage 14 therein which opens out of the bottom of the valve body 10 in an enlarged recess 13. The passage 14 intersects a lateral opening 38 having a larger diameter portion. Aspirating means in the form of a Venturi nozzle insert 39 is positioned in the recess 38 so as to define a product supply chamber 44 around the nozzle insert. The passage 14 forms a compressed air flow path through the valve body 10 to the nozzle insert 39.

Against the bottom of the valve body 10 over the recess 13 is an apertured valve seat member 34 retained in place by the retaining ring 340, and within the recess 13 over the valve seat member is a poppet valve member 15 which is urged toward the valve seat member 34 by a return spring 23 positioned in the recess 13. The

lower end of valve body 10 has a reduced diameter portion 10a.

A closed end cylinder 17 is fitted over reduced diameter portion of the valve body 10, which cylinder extends part of the way along the reduced diameter portion 10a. The closed end of the cylinder has an inwardly extending poppet valve actuating pin l8 thereon aligned with the aperture in the valve seat member 34. A piston return spring 19 is held between the projection 18 and the valve seat member 34. A first sealing ring 20a is positioned between the inside cylindrical surface of the cylinder 17 and the outer cylindrical surface of the reduced diameter portion 10a. In the closed end of the cylinder 17 is an air return means which will be described in greater detail hereinafter. A hollow extension 17a extends from the closed end of the cylinder 17.

The product container means is a product container 21 surrounding the cylinder 17 and the extension 17a. The upper end of the product container is threaded at 22, and is threadedly joined to a collar which surrounds the valve body 10 and which is connected to the piston 17 by connecting members 17b. The connecting members 17b extend downwardly within the container 21 along the reduced diameter portion 10a and then are joined at the bottom end to the top end of cylinder 17. Spaces 24 are left between the connecting members so that the space 10b around the reduced diameter portion a is in communication with the interior of the product container 21. A second sealing ring 20b is provided between the collar 17c and the outside of the valve body 10. The bottom of the container 21 extends over the end of the extension 17a and is sealed thereto by a ring gasket 25 and an aperture 26 is provided in the bottom of the container 21 opening into the interior of the extension 17a.

Extending through the valve body 10 is a crescent shaped product bore 27 which has one end opening out of the valve body 10 into the space 10b around the reduced diameter portion 10a and which is large enough in cross-section to allow free flow of liquid product therethrough. A metering chamber in the form of a recess 28 is provided in the end of the valve body 10 which projects beyond the nozzle insert 39. The recess 28 is closed by a closure means 29, here shown as a screw threaded cap. Within the recess 28 is a projec tion 2811 through which the other end of the product bore 27 opens into the recess 28. The bottom 28b of the recess 28 is concave, and out of the bottom opens a further product flow bore 31 which extends through the valve body 10 into the product supply chamber. A product flow control means is provided in the recess 28, which is here shown in the form ofa diaphragm 32, described more fully hereinafter.

The size and shape of the product container 21 is sufficiently large to hold a relatively large quantity of product, enough for the device to be operated a large number of times while dispensing a small amount of product each time. The size of the recess 28, on the other hand, is relatively small, containing only a small amount of product, perhaps several times the quantity it is desired to dispense for each operation of the device. On the other hand, the volume of the recess 28 plug the bore 27 is such that even the maximum amount of air flowing through the nozzle insert 39 cannot aspirate product from the product container 21. In this way, the compressed air passing through the nozzle insert 39 aspirates product only from the amount of product contained in the recess 28. This makes the device more efficient and accurate, since energy is not used to draw product all the way to the nozzle insert from the container 21. The recess 28 is filled after every few operations of the device in a manner described hereinafter.

The closed end of the cylinder 17 has apertures 33 therethrough opening into the interior of the cylinder 17. An annular gasket 35 is provided which fits over pin- 18 and overlies the apertures 33.

In operation the parts of the device are normally in the positions as shown inFlG. l. The spring 19 holds the cylinder 17 and the valve body 10 spaced apart, and the air passage through the air return means in the closed end of the cylinder is free to open. It will be assumed that the recess 28 is filled with product. Pressure is then exerted on the closed end of the cylinder 17 through the bottom of the product container 21 and extension 17a, and the cap 29, for example, by the thumb and forefinger, to urge the cylinder 17 and the valve body 10 toward each other while compressing the spring 19. The air compressed within the cylinder 17 presses the air return gasket 35 over apertures 33 and prevents flow of air therethrough. The poppet valve member is held seated by the spring 23 and the sealing ring a prevents escape of compressed air between the interior of the cylinder 17 and the reduced diameter portion 10a of valve body 10. When the parts reach the positions shown in FIG. 2, the projection 18 in the inside of the closed end of the cylinder 17 engages the poppet valve 15 and lifts it from its seat. Compressed air then escapes through the compressed air flow path formed by the recess 13 and passage 14 and through the nozzle insert 39. The flow of compressed air through the nozzle insert creates a reduced pressure through the passage 31 and in the concave portion 28b of the recess 28, thus causing the diaphragm 32 to bend downwardly to open the slit 32a. Only the product in the recess 28 is aspirated through the passage 31, and is entrained in the flow of compressed air and dispensed as a spray from the nozzle insert. No product is aspirated from the product container 21.

Release of the pressure on the parts of the device enables the spring 19 to urge the cylinder 17 and the valve body apart. The spring 23 immediately seats the poppet valve 15. The air return means relieves the vacuum within the cylinder 17, and the parts return to the positions of FIG. 1. This operation can be repeated until the recess 28 is empty. Then the device is inverted and product flows through bore 27 into recess 28 to refill it. The device is then ready for repeated operation again.

The arrangement of the collar 17c around the valve body 10 and its connection to the piston 17 of which it forms an extension makes possible the admission of air to the product container and the metering chamber 28 and product bore 27 to break any vacuum which may be formed therein during aspiration of product. As the piston 17 moves toward the valve body 10 along the reduced diameter portion 10a, the collar 17c moves along the outside of the valve body 10. When the connecting members 17b move past the further sealing ring 20b, the spaces 24 between the connecting membes 17b will be open to the atmosphere through the space between the collar 17c and the outside of the valve body 10. This will take place each time the piston 17 is actuated to cause aspiration. The aspiration will thus never have to take place against a vacuum. This also enables the product to flow easily from the product container 21 through the product flow path formed by the space 10b around the reduced diameter portion 10a and the bore 27 to the recess 28 when the device is inverted. The diaphragm 32 is sufi'lciently rigid to prevent product from flowing past it with the device in the inverted position.

It will be seen that because the valve body has been shaped to form a piston within the cylinder 17, this eliminates the need for a separately formed piston as has been used in the prior art devices. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the parts are relatively easily molded sleeves and body parts.

Moreover, by providing the metering chamber 28 between the product container and the aspirating nozzle, the operation of the aspirating nozzle has been improved because it acts on only a relatively small body of fluid. Nevertheless, the product container 21 can hold a sufficient amount of product to give the device a long, useful life.

It is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it is apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts with out departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A fluid product dispenser comprising a valve assembly having a valve body with one end thereof in the form of a piston, said valve assembly having a compressed air flow path extending from the one end through the valve body, a valve member movable in the valve body and obturating the compressed air flow path, aspirating means at the end of the compressed air flow path remote from the one end of said valve body, the compressed air flow path at the one end of the valve body opening out of the said one end, said valve body having a metering chamber therein on the opposite side of said aspirating means from said one end and being in communication with said aspirating means, a product containing means forming part of said fluid product dispenser and located on the opposite side of said aspirating means from said metering chamber, a product flow path through said valve body from said metering chamber to said product containing means, and a closed end cylinder fitted around at least the pistonshaped portion of said valve body in air tight sliding engagement with the closed end over the end of the compressed air flow path, the cylinder and valve body being movable toward each other in a compression stroke to compress air within the cylinder, one of said valve member and said piston having means thereon engageable with the other at the end of the compression stroke for moving the valve member to open the compressed air path only after the air is compressed in said cylinder.

2. A fluid product dispenser as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a product flow control means in said metering chamber for controlling flow of product to said aspirating means only when said aspirating means is aspirating.

3. A fluid product dispenser as claimed in claim 1 in which said product container is provided around said valve body and is connected to said piston for movement therewith, the engagement of said product container around said valve body being a sliding and sealing engagement.

4. A fluid product dispenser as claimed in claim 3 in which air return means is provided between said product container and said valve body for admitting air to said product container at the end of each compression stroke of said piston and valve body.

5. A fluid product dispenser as claimed in claim 3 in which said product container has a collar at the top thereof around said valve body, a sealing ring in sliding sealing engagement between said collar and said valve body, said product flow path opening out of said valve body within said container.

6. A fluid product dispenser as claimed in claim 5 in which connecting members extend between said collar and said piston, and spaces are provided between said connecting members through which said product flow path opens into said container, said sealing ring being on said valve body and said collar moving relative thereto during said compression stroke, said connecting members and said spaces extending past said sealing ring at the end of said compression stroke to place the interior of said container in communication with the atmosphere through the space between the collar and the valve body at the end of the compression stroke.

7. A fluid product dispenser as claimed in claim 3 in which said piston has a hollow extension thereon ex tending away from said valve body, said product container having a bottom extending across the free end of said hollow extension in sealing engagement therewith, and said product container bottom having an aperture therein opening into said hollow extension,

t it i 

1. A fluid product dispenser comprising a valve assembly having a valve body with one end thereoF in the form of a piston, said valve assembly having a compressed air flow path extending from the one end through the valve body, a valve member movable in the valve body and obturating the compressed air flow path, aspirating means at the end of the compressed air flow path remote from the one end of said valve body, the compressed air flow path at the one end of the valve body opening out of the said one end, said valve body having a metering chamber therein on the opposite side of said aspirating means from said one end and being in communication with said aspirating means, a product containing means forming part of said fluid product dispenser and located on the opposite side of said aspirating means from said metering chamber, a product flow path through said valve body from said metering chamber to said product containing means, and a closed end cylinder fitted around at least the piston-shaped portion of said valve body in air tight sliding engagement with the closed end over the end of the compressed air flow path, the cylinder and valve body being movable toward each other in a compression stroke to compress air within the cylinder, one of said valve member and said piston having means thereon engageable with the other at the end of the compression stroke for moving the valve member to open the compressed air path only after the air is compressed in said cylinder.
 2. A fluid product dispenser as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a product flow control means in said metering chamber for controlling flow of product to said aspirating means only when said aspirating means is aspirating.
 3. A fluid product dispenser as claimed in claim 1 in which said product container is provided around said valve body and is connected to said piston for movement therewith, the engagement of said product container around said valve body being a sliding and sealing engagement.
 4. A fluid product dispenser as claimed in claim 3 in which air return means is provided between said product container and said valve body for admitting air to said product container at the end of each compression stroke of said piston and valve body.
 5. A fluid product dispenser as claimed in claim 3 in which said product container has a collar at the top thereof around said valve body, a sealing ring in sliding sealing engagement between said collar and said valve body, said product flow path opening out of said valve body within said container.
 6. A fluid product dispenser as claimed in claim 5 in which connecting members extend between said collar and said piston, and spaces are provided between said connecting members through which said product flow path opens into said container, said sealing ring being on said valve body and said collar moving relative thereto during said compression stroke, said connecting members and said spaces extending past said sealing ring at the end of said compression stroke to place the interior of said container in communication with the atmosphere through the space between the collar and the valve body at the end of the compression stroke.
 7. A fluid product dispenser as claimed in claim 3 in which said piston has a hollow extension thereon extending away from said valve body, said product container having a bottom extending across the free end of said hollow extension in sealing engagement therewith, and said product container bottom having an aperture therein opening into said hollow extension. 